CONSPIRACY CLAIM #22

In a video that circulated widely online, a woman claimed that Craig Kelly, the former federal member for Hughes in New South Wales and later leader of the United Australia Party, was “messaging his masters” with his hands while speaking at a protest. The “message”, she said, was the way he held his fingers: a hand gesture that, in her view, revealed a secret allegiance to the Freemasons or the Illuminati.

It is a claim that is easy to laugh at, and many people did. But it was also taken seriously by a surprising number of viewers, which is why it is answered here.

Is Craig Kelly a Freemason?

There is no public record that Mr Kelly has ever been a Freemason. But even if he were, it would make no difference to this claim, because Freemasonry has no “masters” giving political instructions, and no way for a member to receive or send them. As explained in Claim #16, regular Freemasonry forbids its members to discuss politics in the lodge at all, and the United Grand Lodge of England’s rules state that a Freemason may not, in his capacity as a Freemason, “advance his views on theological or political questions”. A fraternity that will not let its members talk politics over dinner is not directing politicians at street rallies.

Do Freemasons have hand signals?

Here it is worth being precise. Freemasons do have a small number of traditional signs, grips and words, old-fashioned ways for members to recognise one another, which are taught and used inside the lodge. What Freemasonry does not have is a “steeple”, “triangle” or “pyramid” hand signal, or any gesture used to send messages in public. There is simply no such thing (see also point 7 in Claim #21).

The gesture in question, with the fingertips of both hands pressed together, is one of the most common things people do with their hands while talking or listening. Teachers, lawyers, doctors, news presenters and politicians of every party do it all the time. Once someone has decided that a gesture is a “sign”, every photograph of every public figure becomes “evidence”. That is the habit of seeing patterns in random noise that we described in Claim #16, not detective work.

Hear it from the man himself

The Australian filmmaker Topher Field talked with Mr Kelly about the “Masonic hand gestures” claim. For a lighter look at the whole affair, watch the video below.

Conclusion: Craig Kelly was not “messaging his masters”. There is no public record that he has ever been a Freemason, Freemasonry has no masters directing politicians, and holding your fingertips together is a common gesture, not a Masonic signal. The claim is false, and frankly rather funny.

Webmaster’s Personal Comment:
I will admit that this video made me laugh. What troubled me was what followed. Within parts of the so-called “freedom” movement, which in practice has drawn many of its loudest voices from extremist Christian circles, a great many people believed it, and some of them turned on anyone who questioned it, attacking and shaming members of their own community until they fell into line. Watching a group police its own members over a hand gesture is a sobering reminder of how quickly a harmless piece of nonsense can turn into a test of loyalty. That is why this claim has a place on this site.